May 5, 2011

After school and work on Friday, we headed out across the Mojave desert. Soon the sun was down, and I turned off on Afton Road, halfway between Barstow and Baker. There was no moon, and obviously no streetlights, and we've never been there before, so driving down the dirt road to Afton Canyon was a little intimidating. At one point, Andy said, "Dad if you're taking us out here to kill us, I'm going to be really mad!"

In the morning, however, it was, "Wow, this place is pretty cool." The Mojave River runs underground through much of the desert, and every once in a while, bedrock forces it to the surface. That is what caused this great little oasis away from everything.

We got there a little before lunch, but soon we were back on the road again, this time with the others for some rock-hounding. Sherry and Andy found some pink amethyst crystals which I'm sure will be incorporated into some Hogwarts craft.

We made sure to get back to camp in time for the burn-your-own-meat potluck dinner. It was an amazing spread and more than a few arteries were more constricted after that carnivore carnival.

On Sunday morning, we did our usual shooting match, but this time Andy kept the rifle in the case and we worked on holster technique. Our host, Jake, brought his old duty weapon and Sam Browne, and let me teach Andy how to shoot from the hip. As expected, Andy was a quick study, and was looking like an old pro.

Everyone in this bunch is always so welcoming and friendly, and they always make us feel like family when we join them. Thanks guys!

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"Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer. Go some distance away because then the work appears smaller and more of it can be taken in at a glance and a lack of harmony and proportion is more readily seen." - Leonardo da Vinci